The X Factor
by Cyclone
Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The X Factor: (1?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

Xander was proud of his costume.

Very proud.

It had been several years in the making, and he only wished Willow would have gone along with his original plan and gone as Demona. Then again, with Jesse gone and unable to play Macbeth as they'd planned...

Oh, well. He hadn't been about to let all these preparations go to waste.

"Oh, wow, Xander!" Willow gushed. "You even got the wings!"

He shrugged -- a somewhat difficult task given how the costume expanded his shoulders -- and said, "Hey, either do it right or don't do it at all."

* * *

"Hey, mister," a kid tugged Xander's hand and looked up at him. "Are you supposed to be Goliath?"

Beneath the mask, he grinned, "You tell me."

"I thought Goliath was a different color?"

* * *

"Janus, evoco vestram animam. Exaudi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro. Veni, appare et nobis monstra quod est infinita potestas," Ethan Rayne chanted.

* * *

The one who had -- moments ago -- been Alexander Harris looked around in surprise.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud. "Interesting."

"Xander!"

He turned, "Are you talking to me, ma'am?"

"Oh, my God," the red head stopped, looking at him and taking him in for the first time. "You really changed into him."

A commotion behind him drew his attention, and he turned, lifting his arm and extending the particle gun from the forearm mount. He fired, scaring off the little monsters that seemed to be harassing a distinctly unprepared brunette girl.

"C'mon!" the redhead called, running ahead. With a mental shrug, he followed. She seemed to have at least a vague grasp on what was going on.

The brunette looked up, "A gargoyle!" She blinked, "Yet... you are steel, not stone."

"A rather deceptive mask, milady," he said, pulling off the Steel Clan helmet. "David Xanatos, at your service." He bowed.

"You... are a knight of some sort then, good sir?"

"Something like that," he smiled and stroked his... chin?

_Hmm,_ he thought. _I don't remember shaving._

* * *

Somewhere up above, an observer watched in amusement.

"And the fun is just beginning."

* * *

"So, you're saying my life is a cartoon," Xanatos said calmly, "that this cartoon was cancelled many years ago, and that the central focus is Goliath and the rest of the Manhattan Clan?"

"That about sums it up," Willow said. They had taken refuge in a house she claimed belonged to "Buffy," the brunette who thought it was 1775.

Which, admittedly, meant she -- or rather, her mind -- hailed from a time considerably more recent than the sort of people he usually associated with. Still, she was still less than useless, though her appreciation for gargoyles certainly made it easier to deal with her.

They'd also been joined by a raven-haired beauty who apparently had something against him. Or the person who had dressed as him.

"Look," Willow said, "I have to go find Giles. He'll be able to figure it out. Just sit tight."

With that, she vanished through the wall.

"Well, she's a rather flighty one, isn't she?" Xanatos commented.

"You have no idea," Cordelia said, shaking her head.

Xanatos decided to leave that alone and pulled off his helmet. He'd already scanned the house with its sensors, and it was clear. For now, it looked like they were safe.

He spun and leveled the particle gun at the kitchen door as another man walked in.

"Whoa!" the man said in surprise.

Xanatos tilted his head. "Who are you?"

"Xander, this is no time for jokes."

"I'm afraid Xander is not currently in residence," Xanatos said calmly. "David Xanatos. Now, who are you? I won't ask a third time."

After a moment, the man answered, "Angel."

Xanatos cocked an eyebrow. "Demona would love to meet you," he said dryly.

"Okay, somebody want to fill me in?" Angel asked, looking around quizzically.

"They don't know who they are, everyone's turned into a monster, it's a whole big thing," Cordelia said. She smiled. "How are you?"

Xanatos lowered his weapon. The chain of reasoning was simple. Willow knew what was going on. The photo he'd found indicated that she was, indeed, friends with the person whose body he was currently borrowing. She had vouched for Cordelia, and she, in turn, apparently vouched for this Angel character.

Of course, this could all be an elaborate hoax, but he couldn't see any purpose it would serve.

This was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Are you certain she went this way?" Xanatos asked Angel.

It seemed there was more to him than met the eye. And when the rather high-strung young lady had discovered it at an inopportune moment, she'd fled.

"No," Angel replied.

Xanatos donned his helmet, "I'll search from above. You keep looking."

He fired his rockets.

"That... could come in handy," Cordy noted, watching him as he flew off.

* * *

Xanatos privately wondered why it felt so good to clobber that pirate. Well, it was something to ponder later.

Maybe it had something to do with the young man whose body he was borrowing?

Probably.

Right now, though, he was disposing of a significantly bigger threat. The bleached blond vampire was quite slippery, but with the suit's power, he knew that all he needed was to get his hands on him.

"Gotcha," Xanatos said as he grabbed Spike by the arm. A twist, and he swung Spike into the wall, then turned to look at Angel. "I assume decapitation will work?"

Angel paused in his own fight to call out an affirmative.

Xanatos turned and calmly ripped Spike's head off.

He smiled beneath his helmet.

"Well, looks like I've still got the edge."

A wave of dizziness struck him.

"Xander!" came an annoyed shriek.

He blinked, "Uh, what, Buff?"

"You dusted Spike," she pouted. "I wanted to do that."

"Well, sor-RY," Xander said. He frowned, "Hey, wait a minute... there's something about the armor."

"Xander, don't change the subject."

"No, seriously, Buff!" Xander said. "I think this armor's still..."

FWOOSH!

"Whoa!" Xander took a moment to regain control.

"Heyyy," he grinned down at them from where he suddenly found himself hovering in the air. "I could get used to this."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

At what point did you figure out who it was?


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The X Factor (2?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

"Oh, my God..."

"Is that Harris?"

"How did he develop a fashion sense over a single weekend?"

Xander ignored the whisperings coming from the Cordettes as he walked through Sunnydale High's hallway toward the library. It was of little consequence what effect his change in wardrobe -- a nice casual suit; Xanatos did not do any more casual than that, and that seemed to have stuck -- had on the rumor mill.

Far more important was the Steel Clan armor and how he was going to keep it running. The electrical costs alone to charge its battery banks was insane; that the ultra-refined rocket fuel that powered its flight system didn't exist on this world (yet anyway) only complicated matters.

And then there were the inevitable repairs that would have to be made.

He'd already made a little headway in solving some of those problems, but...

It was a pity Wall Street didn't trade on weekends.

That was a problem to be shelved for later, though. Right now, he had a more pressing issue.

"Mister Giles," he called as he entered the library.

"Yes, may I help...?" Giles blinked. "Xander?"

He nodded, "We've got a couple of things we need to figure out. About Halloween."

"Such as...?" Giles prompted as he noted Xander's dress and speech patterns.

Xander's next words confirmed added to his suspicions.

"The spell that night affected only those who purchased their costumes from Ethan's, correct?"

"That's right."

"And everything was reverted back to normal, aside from memories, when the spell ended, correct?"

"Yes..."

"Then why did it affect me?" Xander asked, planting his hands on the counter and leaning over it to look Giles in the eyes. "I never even went to Ethan's. Why did my armor retain its abilities after the spell ended? Giles, the spell does not account for what happened to me. I. Want. Answers."

"I-I-I'll get right on it," Giles stammered, taken aback by Xander's forceful -- almost commanding -- tone.

"Excellent," Xander leaned back and straightened his tie, the aura of menace vanishing as if it were never there. "Oh, I got myself a cell phone, so if there's any emergency, call this number," he said, giving Giles a slip of paper.

He turned to leave.

"Ah, Xander, if I may ask, where were you all weekend?"

"Taking care of some business," Xander replied, not even pausing or looking over his shoulder.

* * *

Xander breezed past Harmony, who had apparently been waiting on him, without either acknowledging her presence or allowing her to force him to. A moment later, he found himself facing a more physical obstacle.

"Is there something I can help you, Larry?" he asked mildly.

"We've got some things to talk about, shrimp," Larry said menacingly.

Well, it would have been menacing to Xander before. Now, he couldn't help but notice how amateurish it was.

"Really?" Xander prompted, raising an eyebrow and straightening to his full height.

"Yeah," Larry said, either ignoring the dangerous edge in Xander's voice... or missing it completely. "Really."

"About what, Lawrence?" Xander asked, narrowing his eyes as a host of other subtle shifts unconsciously rippled through his body.

Larry took an involuntary step back, then mentally gathered himself and crossed his arms, his own stance shifting to emphasize his pecs. "You and your girlfreaks."

Xander glowered and spoke with a deceptively calm voice, "I'm going to do us both a favor and walk away. I suggest you do the same." That said, he sidestepped around Larry and continued on his way.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet, Harris!" Larry turned and clapped his left hand on Xander's right shoulder, spinning him around and setting him up for a right haymaker.

Xander's left hand came up and deflected the punch upward, then grabbed Larry's wrist. His right hand rose and caught hold of Larry's upper arm, and he pivoted and twisted, hauling the football player over his head until he fell flat on his back on the floor with a resounding thwack.

Xander rose and nearly gawked, covering it by wordlessly dusting himself off. He shot a glare at the cronies Larry had with him -- two other football players -- and they backed off, leaving him free to consider what he'd just done. It had been a simple judo throw, simple in theory, but impossible to pull off without having it ingrained into one's reflexes.

Apparently, fashion sense wasn't the only thing that stuck.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's going on here?" Snyder stormed toward them and sneered as he caught sight of Xander. "Harris. I should have known."

"He attacked me, Mister Snyder," Xander said coolly. He leaned in close and whispered, "I want you to know something, Snyder. I've been recording your unlawful persecution of myself and my friends for the past two weeks. Keep it up, and those recordings just might end up in the hands of people you might not want knowing about it." He paused for second and added, "And I don't mean City Hall."

Snyder paled, then looked down at Larry and made a point of haranguing the football player, complete with promises of detention, suspension, expulsion, removal from the football team, or some combination of the above.

Xander continued on his way, a confident smirk on his face. It had been a bluff, but it seemed to have worked.

For now, anyway.

* * *

Xander carefully fixed the other half of the casing in place. He wouldn't be able to test it yet -- that would have to wait until later -- but he was fairly certain it would work. He'd had to gut one of the arm-mounted particle guns from the Steel Clan armor, but he felt it was worth it.

He picked up the particle beam handgun and tested its weight.

And spun when the door slammed open. He blinked, lowering the weapon.

"Willow?"

"Xander, you idiot!" she stormed up to him and shoved him on the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt. "I heard you got into a fight with Larry, but no one would tell me what happened, and then the Cordettes were talking about you, and then when I couldn't find you, I got so worried; I checked everywhere: the library, the hospital, talked to Buffy, but no one had seen you. Where have you been?"

She blinked at his bare chest. "You're not hurt," she said, dumbfounded.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Will," Xander said. "Larry didn't lay a hand on me, unless you count him grabbing my shoulder and turning me around."

"Oh," she blinked... then blushed and turned away, looking for something -- anything -- else to look at. She at the red Steel Clan armor standing in the corner. She took in the wires streaming from the open panel on the left arm and finally noted the familiar-looking weapon Xander had been holding.

"Xander, what's all this?"

He sat up, "Just my effort to try and make some of this stuff more practical. I can't exactly wear the Steel Clan exoframe all the time, and if it breaks down..." he shrugged. "Plus, I'm trying to figure out some of the basic components that go into making this thing. A lot of the parts Xanatos used were off-the-shelf stuff... that doesn't exist here."

"Like what?"

Xander held up the particle beam handgun, "Like the high-temp superconductor that makes these guns possible."

"'Superconductor'?" she repeated, perking up.

* * *

Xander sighed as he slumped over in the chair. He'd managed to make enough money to buy this place and fix it up, but between starting up operations here and juggling his stocks...

It left him thoroughly spent. He'd barely had enough time in the past six weeks to patrol and help out with the emergencies. Sleep was a luxury, and he couldn't even spare the time to explore the possibilities of some of the more advanced components.

He shook his head, "I really miss you, Owen."

"You called, sir?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Interesting guesses. Goliath, I was planning. Thailog, I should have expected, given the coloration issue. Coldstone was a pretty big surprise, though. I figured the particle beam gun would've given it away, but I guess the Steel Clan armor just wasn't on the radar.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The X Factor (3?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

"Owen," Xander bolted to his feet. His gaze swept across the smartly-dressed blond man from head to toe. The glasses, the hair, the eyes, even the stone fist... it all matched. "What on Earth are you doing here?" he finally sputtered.

"Merely fulfilling my duties, sir," Owen replied. A moment later, the guise dropped, and Puck grinned, dancing through the air around him, "Aww, did ya miss me, Alex? Look you're on the Hellmouth; that makes you fair game for any and all of Oberon's children... so you might want to be aware that the Weird Sisters know you're here."

"It's Xander, Puck," Xander growled. A thought struck him and he frowned, "Wait a minute, did you have something to do with this? Ethan's spell?"

"Well, a guy's gotta get his kicks somehow," Puck hedged, floating back.

"Figures," Xander rolled his eyes. "Chaos is your area of expertise. What? Janus one of your aliases, or did you just find the opportunity irresistable?"

"A bit of both, actually," Puck replied, flitting across to inspect the room. "Janus isn't exactly my kinda guy. Don't get me wrong, great guy, but... just a little too stiff for me."

"Well, I'd been wondering why I got transformed even though I never bought anything from Ethan's. And why my armor stayed the same when everyone else's stuff reverted."

"Well, I couldn't leave you without a little edge, could I?" Puck grinned at him.

"I appreciate that."

"So, same deal as last time?"

"Certainly, though I don't have a son yet."

"Oh, pish-tosh," Puck waved it off. "That will come in time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been stretching things a bit too much as it is."

With that, he reverted back into form of Owen Burnett.

"So," Xander said, "if you're real... how much of what I remember is real too?"

"As they say, sir, all things are true," Owen replied, adjusting his glasses.

"Well, I think I'll take a break and leave my finances in your care, Owen," Xander said, walking around the desk.

"Very good, sir."

"Oh, and Owen?" Xander paused at the door. "As soon as we get enough spare capital, I want you to buy the Gargoyles cartoon. All of it. Rights, materials, research, notes, everything."

"Understood, sir."

* * *

Xander swaggered through the school to the library. If he knew the Scooby Gang -- and he did -- they'd be here, researching the latest whatchamacallit, since he'd already checked with Willow's parents and heard the standard "studying with Buffy" line.

He hoped the latest whatchamacallit wasn't an apocalypse. They played havoc with his plans.

Oh, well. At least he now had Owen to handle minor affairs, despite the headaches his very presence heralded.

"Greetings, Alexander."

Xander froze and stared at the triplets: one blonde, one raven-haired, and one with silver hair.

Apparently, Puck's warning came not a moment too soon.

"Luna, Phoebe, Selene," Xander nodded coolly. He didn't really know which one was which, but at least he knew their names. "Can I help you?"

"Destiny has been inverted."

"The powers of this world shall wane."

"We are not your enemy."

"You will do as you were never fated to do."

"And you will bring about a new age."

"Beware, for enemies take many more shapes than even the Children of Oberon."

"Translation: Hell's on it's way, and I'd better watch my back," Xander deadpanned. "I don't need you three to tell me that. Maybe you should talk to Captain Hairgel. He does the cryptic thing better."

"Heed well our words, heir of power."

"A time of change has arrived."

"Will you survive the coming tide?"

"Uh huh," Xander replied to the empty hallway. "I'll keep that in mind." Shaking his head, he continued on his way. _'Heir of power'? Where'd that come from anyway?_

"Hey, guys, what's up?" he asked as he sauntered into the library.

Willow looked up from the computer she was working at, "Xander, you're here!"

"Yeah," he grinned. "Finally got some competent help for once. So, what's the Big Bad this time?"

Looks were exchanged, and Giles shook his head, "Nothing of immediate urgency."

"It's probably nothing," Buffy said with a shrug.

"It's the old CRD plant," Willow chirped. "Buffy saw some activity there while on patrol, and we're trying to figure out what's going on."

"Oh, that?" Xander blinked. He shrugged and said, "I bought it."

"You what?" they chorused.

"Remember that road trip I was planning, Will?" At her nod, he continued, "I took the money I saved up for it and used it as seed money. I played around a little in the stock market and bought the CRD plant."

"What for?" Buffy frowned.

"I'm using it to start a business, Buffy," Xander said. "Xanatos developed a lot of technology on his own, but it was based on technology that doesn't exist here yet. If I can duplicate them, I can make enough money that we can focus on slaying, as well as manufacture things like that particle gun I gave you a few weeks back. Speaking of which, how's that thing working out?"

"It's, ah, it's performing remarkably well, actually," Giles replied.

Xander blinked, "You mean it's still intact? I'd've thought Buffy would've smacked some critter over the head with it by now."

Buffy glowered.

Giles coughed, "Well, it was almost unanimously decided -- with one dissenting vote -- that Buffy should not be permitted to use it for that very reason."

"Ahh," Xander nodded. "By the way, Willow, how would you like a job?"

"Huh?" the redhead blinked.

"Off the books until graduation," he said with a shrug. "Top of the line scientific research. Your own lab. I've already got teams working on some of the less profitable innovations, but I want someone I can trust with the real deal."

"My own lab?" she squeaked. He nodded. She squealed and tackled him in a fierce hug.

"Mmph?" Xander mmphed as he felt Willow's lips crushing against his.

"I don't believe it," she squealed after she pulled back. "My own lab!"

Xander blinked, dumbfounded.

"Woo hoo!" Buffy crowed. "Way to go, Will!"

Willow blushed and shrank back, "Ah, um, uh..."

Xander shook his head and chuckled, "I'll... take that as a yes."

"Well, I'd better start patrolling," Buffy said, heading for the door. "Those vampires aren't going to dust themselves."

As soon as Slayer departed, Xander looked back at the others, "So, we still up for Buffy's surprise party next week?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Heehee. My inner W/Xer had to put this in.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The X Factor (4?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

Willow was in for more surprises before Buffy's birthday. The next one came after school the next day, when Xander took her to the former CRD plant... and her new lab.

"Good afternoon, Mister Harris, Miss Rosenberg. The laboratory has been prepared. You may begin whenever you like."

Willow stared, "You... you... you... how...?"

"All things are true, Miss Rosenberg," Owen said calmly. "I have merely renewed my previous contract."

Xander grinned. "Bruce Wayne, eat your heart out."

The edges of Owen's lips curved upward about six microns, and he bowed to Willow, "If you find the laboratory lacking in any way, please let me know."

"Y-y-yeah," she stammered. "S-s-sure."

"Welcome to Scarab Corporation, Will," Xander said.

* * *

Buffy would meet Owen the following day at around the same time.

"Good afternoon, Mister Harris, Miss Summers, Miss Rosenberg," Owen greeted them. He had been waiting in front of the school by a gleaming new black Cadillac.

"Xander, who's this?" Buffy frowned.

"This is Owen Burnett," Xander introduced him.

"A pleasure, ma'am," Owen took her hand, bowed, and kissed it.

"What brings you here, Owen?" Xander asked.

"Your emancipation proceedings are complete, sir," Owen said, "and I have begun transferring official ownership of most of your resources, aside from a number of off-shore accounts, to your name, as you requested."

"'Emancipation proceedings'?" Willow squeaked, her face lighting up.

"Excellent work, Owen," Xander grinned. "Anything else?"

"Yes, sir. The rights, production notes, and production material you've requested have been purchased. The, ah, original source material will take more time."

"So, we can start the name change?"

"The paperwork is in the car, sir."

"Whoa, wait, time out!" Buffy held her hands up in a T. "'Emancipation proceedings'? 'Name change'?"

Willow crushed Xander in a hug, "You're free!"

"Yeah, Will," Xander grinned, gently hugging her back. "I am."

"'Off-shore accounts'?" another voice interrupted. "Just how much money does he have?"

"I'm afraid that information is confidential, Miss Chase."

* * *

Late in the evening of the following day, Giles received a surprise of his own.

"Oh, dear Lord," Giles stared at the book in his hands. "How on Earth did this 'Owen' get a first edition 'Crelor's Bestiary'?"

"Owen has many talents, Giles," Xander grinned. He'd overheard Giles bemoaning the inaccuracies of the later editions, so he thought it would be a good surprise.

It looked like he was right.

* * *

The next day, Principal Snyder received to an unexpected -- and unwanted -- visitor in his office.

He scowled upon recognizing the dark-haired youth, but his gaze swept to the blond man, and he asked, "Can I help you, Mister...?"

"His name is Owen," Xander said. "He's my aide."

"What do you want, Harris?"

"That's actually why I'm here, Principal," Xander said evenly. "I'm no longer a Harris. I've legally changed my name, and I'm here to notify you and provide the school with the proper paperwork. Owen?"

"Yes, sir," Owen laid the briefcase on Snyder's desk and opened it, pulling out a folder and placed it on the desk, closing the briefcase and returning it to his side.

Snyder looked over the papers and sneered, "Well, it appears everything's in order. But just because you don't have the name doesn't make you any better than them, Harris. Scum like that only breeds scum, and while you can change your name, you can't change the fact that you're a good-for-nothing slacker who will never amount to anything."

Xander merely raised an eyebrow at Owen, then turned and left.

"Ahem," Owen straightened his tie once his employer was gone. "It appears you have certain preconceived and unfounded notions about certains members of the student body. In addition to my services as Mister Xanatos's aide, I am here as a representative of these unnamed students in a class action lawsuit in order to inform you of the upcoming legal proceedings."

Snyder shot to his feet and snapped, "You can't sue me!"

"We're not suing you," Owen replied calmly. "You're merely the trigger and symptom of a corrupt local government. We're suing city hall and the school board."

* * *

"Do they really have a case, Allan?" Mayor Richard Wilkins III asked.

"I'm afraid so, sir," the deputy mayor replied nervously.

"Well, well, well," Wilkins leaned back in his chair. "This Mister Burnett is rather good. Were things different, I might be tempted to offer the chap a job. I still might."

"What job, Mister Mayor?" Finch frowned.

"Why, yours, actually," Wilkins replied negligently. "It seems I'll have to make a call to my legal counsel in L.A." He shook his head, "Tsk, lawsuits. Such... messy business."

* * *

Xander sauntered out of Scarab Corporation's first facility. Most of it was still shutdown, but once Willow figured out the superconductor, he planned to bring the rest of the plant online. He waved at the security guard, "Later, Bruno." He waved at the security camera, "Later, Will."

* * *

Willow blinked at her computer monitor.

"Eep!"

* * *

Owen parked the car at the new Xanatos Estates. For a place with such a pretentious name, it wasn't really all that impressive, but the Crawford Street mansion was both upscale enough to fit in while affordable to a starting company like Scarab Corporation. He'd enlisted Mrs. Summers' help in redecorating the place, but it still retained some of the house's classic decor.

As Xander climbed out of the car, he froze. "Who's there?"

The shadowy figure detached itself from the tree.

"Shall I call security, sir?"

"No need, Owen," Xander said, relaxing marginally. "Wait inside."

"Yes, sir," the assistant bowed and headed in.

"Angel, what the hell are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," the ensouled vampire replied. "It's about Buffy."

Xander nodded and lifted his cell phone, quick-dialing, "Owen, looks like I'll need security after all. Get teams Alpha and Bravo prepped and ready to-"

"She's not in trouble."

"Cancel that, Owen," Xander said. He lowered the cell phone and asked, "What's this all about?" He drew the particle beam pistol he'd reclaimed from Giles, "And quit with the cryptic before I decide to engage in some off-hours target practice."

"You've changed."

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Xander deadpanned. "What next? Gonna tell me the sky's blue?"

Angel scowled, "Buffy... she likes the new you. I just thought... we should settle this like gentlemen instead of forcing her to choose."

"Yes, yes, that's nice," Xander said patronizingly, "but I'm not interested in Buffy."

"Of course you are."

"No, I was," he corrected. "I've changed since then."

"But..." Angel blinked, "...you're supposed to never stop loving her."

Xander rolled his eyes, "Oh, for the love of..." He glared, "Look, she's a friend, like a little sister, but that's all. I've grown up, Angel. And frankly, after two hundred years, so should you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing lasts forever, Angel, least of all love. Now, if you're done wasting my time, I have things to do." Not waiting for an answer, Xander headed to the house. He paused at the door, looked over his shoulder, and added, "Oh, and for future reference, gentlemen don't stalk and seduce underaged girls."

"Don't talk down to me, Harris!" Angel snarled, taking a step toward the teenager...

...then stepped back again as the red beam struck the ground at his feet, sizzling the grass.

"It's not Harris anymore, vampire," Xander said coldly. "Now, get off my property before I have you incinerated."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

There seems to be a little confusion about the deal Puck/Owen referred to in the last part. Puck created the Owen identity for fun -- "the trickster has played many parts over the millenia, but never that of straight man" -- and couldn't resist offering Xanatos a choice: a wish from Puck or a lifetime of loyal service from Owen. Xanatos chose Owen, which greatly impressed Puck, and he honored the arrangement.

It was also revealed that Xanatos's mother-in-law was Titania, and that his son bore the power of a Child of Oberon. Oberon was convinced that Alexander could learn to harness his powers in the mortal world, and Puck was chosen as his teacher. He then bound Puck's powers except when protecting or teaching Alexander. Hence Xander's reference to a son, though that part of the deal was more with Oberon than with Xanatos.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The X Factor (5?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

"Do you really think you're ready, Buffy?"

"What?" Buffy blinked at her mother, then watched as the saucer fell and shattered on the ground.

Shaking her head, she turned and waved at Xander, who smiled and reached out to hug her, but the ring of a cell phone interrupted him, and he shook his head, "Sorry, Buff, I have to take this." That said, he turned and answered the phone.

She looked around and saw Angel, but just as they stepped toward each other, another figure appeared behind him.

It was the Master.

With one quick motion, the Master grabbed Angel and tore his head off.

"ANGEL!"

The Master looked back at her and grinned, "Happy birthday, Slayer."

Buffy stumbled back and turned and found herself face-to-tie with someone. She looked up.

"Intriguing dream, Miss Summers," Owen said, as granite-faced as ever.

She blinked at him, "Dream?"

"Or perhaps..." he frowned, "...a prophecy?"

She woke up.

* * *

"The Master's dead, Buffy," Xander said. "I checked. The remains of his bones are secure. There's nothing left."

His voice was... subdued. Little wonder, in Buffy's mind, considering what happened when the Master was nearly resurrected a mere few months ago.

"Still..." Xander added, "...I'll have Owen send out a few feelers."

"I... beg your parden?" Giles blinked in surprise.

"Scarab was founded to fight and fund the fight, Giles," Xander said with a snort. "Of course I have contacts."

"Understood, but... you seem to rely on this 'Owen' a great deal. Are you sure you can trust him?"

Xander looked at the Watcher and said, without batting an eye, "With my life, Giles, I-..."

It was at that point that his cell phone rang. He glanced at it and looked up at them. "I gotta take this, guys," he said, turning away as he put the phone to his ear.

Buffy blanched.

"Uh huh." Xander paused. "You've made it clear who he'll be working under, right?" Another pause. "Good, that's great. When can he start?" Another pause. "Excellent. Listen, I need some information, anything connected to the Master." This pause was much longer. "I see. Thank you, Owen."

He turned and looked at Willow, "McKay's on board."

"Him?" the redhead asked, making a face. "Ugh."

"Owen's made it absolutely clear that his job's riding on how he treats you," Xander assured her. "An ass like that doesn't have as much competition as others with his qualifications, so we need him."

"Um, who's McKay?" Buffy asked.

"An arrogant son of a bitch," was Willow's succinct reply.

"Willow!" both Buffy and Giles stared at the redhead in shock.

"Well, he is," she said, shrinking back.

"He's also one of the world's foremost engineers," Xander said patiently. "He'll be heading my more mundane research branch, while Willow gets to play with the real cutting-edge stuff."

Willow sat up straighter and smiled proudly.

"Won't that make him angry?" Buffy frowned.

"Maybe," Xander shrugged. "But it's not like we're telling him what she's working on, and I was up front about him reporting to her. I've also got a line on someone in Dutton to head up our robotics division."

* * *

The surprise birthday party for Buffy did not go as planned.

Actually, that would be putting it rather mildly, as evidenced by what happened when they opened the box Buffy confiscated from the vampires she'd fought just outside.

"Well, clearly the Hellmouth's answer to 'what do you get the Slayer who has everything?'" Xander quipped once the arm was safely back in the box.

"Good heavens," Giles said. "Buffy, are you all right?

"Man, that thing had major grip," she replied.

"W-what was that?" Willow asked.

"It can't be," Angel said. "No one could be that crazy."

"Start talking," Xander said, eyes narrowing at Angel.

"Angel?" Buffy asked.

"It-it's a legend -- way before my time -- of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity," Angel said, obviously shaken, "separate the righteous from the wicked... and to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge."

"The Judge?" Giles asked. "This is he?"

"Not all of him."

"Um, still needing backstory here," Buffy said, raising her hand.

"Um... he, he, he couldn't be killed, yes?" Giles asked. "Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died... but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but, uh... not kill him."

"The pieces were scattered," Angel said, "buried in every corner of the Earth."

"So all these parts are being brought here," Jenny said.

"So... living jigsaw puzzle equals Bad Thing?" Willow asked.

"Armageddon," Angel answered.

"We need to get this out of town," Giles said.

"Angel," Jenny said.

"What?" Buffy looked at Giles.

"You have to do it," Jenny said. "You're the only one that can protect this thing."

"What about me?" Buffy frowned.

"What, you're just gonna skip town for a few months?"

"'Months'?"

"She's right," Angel said. "I gotta get this to the remotest region possible."

"But that's not months."

"I gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal..."

"You know, those newfangled flying machines really are much safer than they used to be," Buffy suggested.

"I can't fly. There's no sure way to guard against the daylight. I-I-I don't like this any more than you do, Buffy. But there's no other choice."

"Bull shit," Xander snorted. He flipped his cell phone open, "Owen, get me a plane and pilot. Sunnydale airport, tonight. Have Alpha and Bravo teams waiting for us. Initiate Code Thirteen protocols. We've got a dangerous package that needs out now." He paused and added, "And see how viable a space program would be."

There were a lot of stares.

"What?" Xander asked. "A private plane'll get Angel where he needs to go without flight delays risking him getting toasty in the sun."

"'Space program'?" Giles asked.

"Well, think about it," Xander spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Wouldn't it solve a lot of problems if we could just load this arm into a rocket and shoot it into the sun? Who knows what other dangerous gadgets we could stick there, where virtually no one could reach it?"

He shook his head, "What I wanna know is who'd be crazy enough to do something like this?"

* * *

"...and when the city burns, our Master shall be reborn!"

Drusilla turned her attention away from the speaker. He went by the monikor Salem, but like so many others -- Spike, Daddy, Grandmother -- it was more his name than the human one he had before his rebirth.

"He doesn't listen, does he, Miss Edith?" Drusilla shook her head. "The city will burn, and they'll be with them again, but I don't get to go. I miss my Spike."

She sighed and pouted. She was still weak. The Hellmouth was restoring her, but so very slowly.

Since Halloween, there had been a slight reorganization of the vampiric underworld. Salem -- an acolyte of Absalom and a fanatical worshipper of the Master -- had taken the reins of power. He'd listened to Dru's visions, hoping, waiting, and when she spoke of being with the Master again, he had jumped at the possibility.

She giggled. He wouldn't be happy, not happy at all. But oh, the pretty fires...

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Without Spike, there was no ritual to restore Dru, no Order of Taraka contract, and no "very dark power about to rise in Sunnydale" to set off signs for Sam Zabuto to detect. As a side note, Dru's not on the radar due to her absence from Buffy's slayer dream, her incapacitated state, and even in canon, Angel didn't believe she was that crazy.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The X Factor (6?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

Angel carried the box containing the Judge arm and solemnly followed Xander as the young man walked briskly across the deserted airfield. The young man had had a car waiting... just in case, so it had taken mere minutes before they were heading for the airport.

"Briggs," Xander nodded in greeting. "You've been briefed on Code Thirteen?"

Alan Briggs, the leader of Alpha team, was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a square jaw and a blond crew cut. He nodded, "Yes, sir."

Xander nodded again. He'd picked the twenty people who made up his five high-risk operations security teams as much for their likely reaction to learning about the supernatural as he had for their skills. He also noted with approval that they were packing the .454 revolvers Owen had issued them in place of their regular 9mm automatics. It meant they had probably also swapped out their regular ammo for the alternate loads he'd worked up.

"This is Angel," he said, gesturing at the vampire. "He and this package need to get out of the country as soon as possible. You're going with him for the first leg. Where's Bravo Team?"

"At the plane," Briggs answered. He looked over at one of his subordinates, a man with tousled brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a silver cross hanging around his neck, "Tannenbaum, stick with Mister Angel. Henderson, you have point. Glick, left flank."

With that, they started around the building and across the tarmac. As they got closer to the plane, Angel started to get a better grasp of the its size. He hurried up to match Xander's pace and said hesitantly, "That's... a bit... big, isn't it?"

Xander snorted, "Anything smaller won't have the range to get you where you need to go." He paused and asked, "Are you sure we can't just drop it in a volcano?"

"It might work," Angel conceded... again, "but it might not, and if it doesn't..."

"Right, right, right," Xander nodded. "Someone may figure out a way to get to it anyway. 'We have the technology,' blah blah blah."

"Wrong context, but yes."

Xander stopped dead at that and looked at Angel strangely, "Since when do you know anything about TV?"

"Shut up, Xander," Angel scowled as he continued walking. With a grin, Xander just shook his head and hurried to catch up. They crossed the last hundred yards in tense silence.

"Lewis!" Xander called as he climbed the boarding stairs alongside the plane. Eric Lewis was Bravo team leader, an unassumingly average man with brown hair and brown eyes, the sort one would completely overlook in a crowd. He had a wife, two kids, white picket fence... and a rather extensive collection of blades.

Xander made it a point to treat every member of his high-risk security teams like family... and not the sort one had by blood.

Which is why it felt like a punch to the gut when he saw Eric's lifeless body just inside the plane.

Molly didn't deserve this.

"We've got trouble!" he called as he turned.

A hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him into the air, hurling him off the platform. He saw the ground rushing up to meet him.

* * *

"Mister Xanatos, sir, can you hear me?" the familiar voice penetrated the darkness.

Xander groaned and forced his eyes open, "Owen?"

"Yes, sir."

He sat up and noted to his surprise that he didn't appear to have anything worse than a mess of bruises. A fall from that height should have broken at least one bone, shouldn't it?

_Man, I'm lucky,_ he thought. He looked at Owen, "The package?"

"Gone, I'm afraid, sir," Owen replied, bowing his head in apology. "I arrived too late to stop them. They took Mister Angel with them."

Xander swore and looked around the hospital room, "Our men?"

"Five dead, three in critical condition. Santos and Briggs needed immediate transfusions, and Tannenbaum is suffering from spinal damage. I've received no word since."

"Damn," Xander muttered. "What about me?"

"A minor concussion and significant bruising," Owen replied. "The doctor has assured me that, if you wish, he's ready to discharge you."

Xander nodded. "Get Charlie, Delta, and Echo teams on the horn. Code Thirteen, Priority Black. We need to scramble."

"If I may ask, sir... what was in that package?"

"The Judge's arm," Xander said. "You know anything about him?"

"No more than what is readily available in the sort of library Mister Giles has access to," Owen said. "An army died to dismember him, his parts were scattered, and no weapon forged could stop him."

"'No weapon forged,'" Xander repeated as a vague idea began form slowly in his mind. "Hmm... it's things like that that gave Oberon a ringing headache..." After a moment of trying and failing to see where the idea would go, he shook it off, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Hopefully, if it did come to that, his subconscious would have an answer for him by then.

* * *

"I can't believe you let them take him!"

Xander rocked back on his heels in stunned surprise, "Huh? 'Let them take him'? What the hell are you talking about, Buff?"

"Angel!" she snapped. "You let them take Angel! You set this up, and you let them take him!"

Xander's face hardened, "I can't believe I'm hearing this. Buffy, five of my men DIED tonight. Men with friends, families, children. And for most of them, all I can say is that they were killed by 'gang members on PCP.'"

"Why not tell them the truth, then?" Buffy asked. "Wouldn't they be safer?"

"Wouldn't your mother?" Xander shot back coldly. "Most wouldn't believe me, and the rest wouldn't be able to handle it. Whatever problem I might have had with Angel, if you actually think I would put it ahead of the lives of my men -- not to mention my species -- you obviously have about as much respect for me as you deserve."

With that, he turned and stormed off. "Now, if you'd like to join me, I've got a mission to plan."

"You found them?" Buffy asked. "How?"

"I put a homing beacon in the box and had Giles and Ms. Calendar confirm it with a locater spell."

* * *

"All right, we've got ourselves a recon, retrieve, and rescue mission," Xander said, scanning the room. Buffy, eyes downcast, was there, as were Giles, Ms. Calendar, Willow, and his three remaining high-risk ops teams.

"Primary objective is to ascertain the status of the Judge," he pulled out a file and opened it. "We've got here photos of his arm and some sketches. If you find a detached body part, retrieve it. If he's fully-assembled and active, begin suppressive fire and retreat immediately; we don't have the firepower to take him on yet."

Xander opened up another file, "This is Angel, our secondary objective. He's a vampire, but a special case. If you find him, get him out intact if you can without interfering with our primary objective."

"But...!"

"Buffy," Xander glared, "I really hope you're not about to do something stupid, like tell me your boyfriend's more important to you than the human race. Which, if you'll recall, includes you, me, Willow, Giles, your mother, everyone in this room... need I go on?"

Buffy slumped back with a soft "No."

Xander turned back to the briefing, "Charlie and Echo teams will go in. Delta, you're on overwatch. We'll begin with holy water grenades and proceed in a pincer movement."

"What about me?" Buffy asked.

"Go with Echo," Xander said. "Owen, you go with her. I'll be with Charlie team. Willow, I want you to coordinate the attack. Giles, Ms. Calendar, can you two provide magical backup?"

"What about me, sir?"

Xander blinked in surprise. "Shouldn't you still be in the hospital, Santos?"

Ana Santos was a little wolverine of a woman. And not the Marvel character, either; Xander had learned the hard way that she was worse than Logan... and that was if she was having a good day. Standing five foot even with a slight build, she more than made up for her compact size with a sheer ferocity and stubborn mulishness that ensured she never lost a fight.

Not even against blood loss, apparently. She would've made a fine slayer.

"Those _pendejos_ killed my team," she spat. "No way I'm gonna sit this one out."

"Fine," Xander sighed. "You're with me and Charlie team."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Okay, some might consider this a bit of Buffy bashing, but I think it's at least somewhat in character at this point for her to, at least for a moment, think immediately of Angel without considering the bigger issues.

Frankly, it would be in character for most teenagers until reality hits them square in the face.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The X Factor (7 of ?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Couldn't resist.

* * *

"They're in position," Willow murmured. 

She was sitting cross-legged on a rooftop that provided a good view of the target warehouse. She wore a comm headset and had a laptop computer in front of her. The miniature satellite dish sat next to her, handling the information flow between her computer and the intelligence satellite she'd backdoored. A mess of wires and wireless receivers combined with the IFF transmitters and the satellite's live video feed to display on her screen real-time position data on the teams.

Two members of Delta team stood guard, ready to provide covering fire or to defend the support personnel: namely herself, Giles, and Ms. Calendar.

She still felt a little surreal about this whole situation. Xander had... changed. A lot. Sure, she was smart, and she knew she could probably get into nearly any university she wanted. But despite her potential, she had no idea what to do with it, where to go.

After she arrived, Buffy had changed all that. Now, Willow had a purpose: The fight. After Halloween, Xander had opened up whole new horizons on how to do help with that. She was fairly certain she was close to a breakthrough on the superconductor. And the superconductor meant more particle beam weapons.

And now, he was trusting her with something so important...

She shook it off.

"Command One to all teams: You have a go."

* * *

Xander was very glad he'd made contingency plans. 

The operation had started off well. The holy water mist grenades -- while hardly lethal -- provided an excellent distraction for the teams that went in. Tracer rounds made vampire flambe, and IFF trackers tied to the helmet-mounted HUDs -- another adaptation of his namesake's technology -- kept them safe from friendly fire.

With the mist, visibility was poor, but it was good enough when only his side had guns.

And then he heard one of his men -- Saunders, judging from the voice -- bellow out.

"Fall back! The Judge is active! Repeat, the Judge is active! Suppressive fire, now!"

Xander nodded at Blake, Charlie team leader, and he signaled the rest of the team. Muzzles flashed around him as the team began laying down suppressive fire with their submachine guns.

For a brief instant, Xander caught a glimpse of the big blue bruiser. Fiery bullets hammered against the demon, knocking it back with the force of the impact... but otherwise not harming it.

For the first time since Halloween, Xander knew fear.

As soon as the teams had regrouped, he did a swift head count. He came up one short. Who? Who was missing?

"Buffy."

_"Don't worry about Buffy,"_ Willow's voice crackled over the headset. _"Giles and Ms. Calendar are clearing a way out for her and Angel."_

Xander relaxed a little.

But only a little.

"Owen," he said quietly, "check for injuries, keep them on standby. Willow, once Buffy's clear, get everyone to the lab. I'm gonna prep my armor. We've gotta figure out a way to stop this thing."

* * *

It took about two hours for Xander to prep the Steel Clan armor for operation. He'd gutted a number of its systems in order to make them available for Willow's research, but he made sure to keep it as intact as possible. 

"So, we know he can't be stopped by any weapon forged, right?" Xander asked. "What does that leave? Sticks and stones? Incendiary bullets didn't seem to hurt him much."

"He must still be weak so soon after awakening," Giles said. "We took no losses this time, but as he gets stronger, I have no doubt he will become more deadly."

"Not helping, Giles," Xander said. "What about magic? Is there a spell you can use to take him out?"

"None that I would dare risk casting," Giles shook his head. "Jenny?"

"I can't think of anything," she said, shaking her head as well. _Angel,_ she thought, _where are you? Is the curse holding?_ The warning from her Uncle Enyos had terrified her. Angel knew the group too well.

Xander's gaze swept to Owen, "What about you?"

"I'm sorry, sir," his aide replied. "I am restricted except under very specific conditions, as you are aware. I'm afraid that, unless those conditions arise, I will be of little use in this battle."

"What about other weaknesses?" Xander asked. "Anything? Silver, iron, gold?"

"I'm afraid not," Giles said.

"Couldn't we just blow him up?" Willow asked. "Hit him with a rocket or something like that?"

"We saw how lively his arm was," Xander shook his head. "Even by themselves, his body parts are too dangerous for anything less than a full team to risk taking on."

"If I may suggest, sir, perhaps a break is in order?" Owen broke in. "Everyone present has been operating under high stress conditions for several hours now, which can prove somewhat detrimental to problem solving skill."

Xander blinked at Owen for a long moment, then nodded, "All right. Everyone, head home. Take a nap. Maybe we'll come up with something in the morning."

* * *

"You have done well, Janna." 

Jenny Calendar stopped in surprise, "Uncle?"

"I do not know what you have done, but I have heard from the elder woman," the older gypsy said. "His pain rises once more. Despair clutches his soul once more. His soul will remain."

"I see," Jenny bowed her head. "Thank you, Uncle."

"Do not thank me, Janna," Enyos replied. "It should never have come to this. I suspect another will be sent to relieve you of your task."

Jenny gasped, but Enyos simply turned and walked away.

* * *

Angel bolted up right and gasped as lightning struck outside the building. He looked over at where Buffy lay next to him, and for a long, agonizing moment, disgust at what he'd done surged through him. 

He had to get away.

He had to.

Scrambling into the nearest clothing he could find, he bolted out into the rain, finally falling to his knees in the alley.

His voice echoed into the night with an anguished cry.

Author's Postscript:

A wee bit late update to a Halloween-based 'fic. damn fire alarm


	8. Chapter 8

Title: The X Factor (8/8) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at or Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Starting at Halloween in BtVS. Anything goes for Gargoyles.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Yet another Halloween 'fic.

Author's Note: Hey, a special Halloween update!

* * *

It was a council of war.

There was no denying the threat posed by this new Scarab Corporation. While it was useful in dealing with the more immediate crisis of the vampire zealot known as Salem and his mad plan to reassemble the Judge, it was a threat they would have to deal with if things were going to continue on schedule.

"So, Mister McDonald, you feel you can fight this little legal issue?"

"It'll be tricky, Mayor Wilkins, but I believe the suit can be dropped. It'll take some work outside the courtroom, but I'm confident it's well within your resources."

"What do I need to do?"

"Absolutely nothing," came a third voice as a short figure burst into the room.

"I'm sorry, Mister Mayor," Allan Finch said, scurrying from behind. "I tried to stop him, but..."

"That's quite all right, Allan," the mayor said, his voice deceptively mild. He glared at the intruder, who returned his gaze without flinching.

The boy had nerve.

"So, young man, exactly why should I do absolutely nothing?"

"Because, Mister Mayor," came the even reply, "it suits us both to have this settled quietly."

Lindsey thoughtfully studied the young man and added, "And the fact that you'd be one of the recipients of the settlement has nothing to do with this?"

"On the contrary, Mister McDonald," Lindsey was startled to hear his name, "that is only an ancillary effect." The young man turned his attention back to the mayor, "Mister Mayor, let me just say that Alexander Xanatos is a threat to both our plans, and I believe I can assist you in... removing that threat."

"Legally, anything I hear in this room is privileged information," Lindsey said slowly, "but I'd speak carefully if I were you, Mister Le-..."

"Please," the young man sneered. "Like anyone would believe you. Besides, while you may look bad in the short run, you'll survive, and your... associate... Miss Morgan, shall be experiencing difficulties of her own, soon enough."

That sent the lawyer reeling. How did this... kid know about his rivalry with Lilah? And just what exactly was he planning?

"A triumvirate, then?" Mayor Wilkins asked, cocking an eyebrow.

The young man smiled, "Something like that."

* * *

_How?_ he thought feverishly. _How could I...? They're dead. All dead because of me, and I..._ he shuddered as he curled up into a fetal ball.

Nausea threatened to overwhelm him. Only his unusual physiology prevented him from emptying the contents of his stomach onto the pavement as the full reality of what had happened continued to hammer at him.

All those people were dead, trying to protect him, and who knows how many others in the rescue. And where was he?

Getting horizontal with his girlfriend.

He caught movement in the corner of his eye.

* * *

Xander stormed through the complex, heading for the training room. When he had taken over the old CRD plant, he had had most of the building converted to laboratory space more suited to the research he needed done, and most of the rest converted to office space. The largest room, however, he had had converted to a training gymnasium, with padded mats lining the floor and hanging on the walls from a height of six feet down to the meet the floor mats.

That, by virtue of being the largest room, had also been where he had held the planning sessions on how to deal with the Judge. The crowd of operatives -- his people -- parted when he arrived, revealing... exactly what Owen had reported.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" he roared.

The two combatants spun to face him. He glared at first Buffy, then Santos. After a moment, he spoke again, "Well? I'm waiting."

Buffy spoke first, tears streaming from her eyes, "She killed him!"

"Killed who?"

"Angel," Buffy replied quietly, her body shaking with sobs.

Xander whirled on Santos, "Is that true?"

"That /puta/ got my team killed!" she snapped back defiantly.

"I should fire you," Xander said, his voice deceptively calm. "I should take you back to LA and dump you back in that back alley I found you in. Your team -- my people -- died to protect him, and you go and pull this stunt? You just spat on their sacrifice, Santos," he finished coldly. The Hispanic woman paled as the full implications struck her.

"You two can try to kill each other as much as you want once the Judge is taken care of, but we don't have the time for that now." He looked at Buffy, "Right now, I need you in top condition, Buff. You want her out, just say the word."

Buffy shook her head, "No. She's a good fighter. We need her to stop the Judge. It's what Angel would have wanted."

Xander nodded, then smiled, "Good, 'cause I have a plan."

* * *

In the end, they found the Judge at the mall. Which made sense. If there ever were a place people would line up to get fried, that was it. Xander had outlined the plan. Most of his teams were still recuperating from the hectic fight at the warehouse, but there were enough to cover the exits and handle the evacuation of the civilians.

Xander was taking center stage, having donned the Steel Clan exoframe. He now stood, encased in high-tech armor, facing off against the blue demon while the vampire who had assembled the Judge, Salem, watched eagerly.

"No weapon forged can stop me," the Judge reminded him.

"Does soldering count?" Xander quipped, snapping his right arm up as the particle cannon popped out of its housing. He was gambling on the loophole. The particle cannon was not forged, so it should work.

He fired.

It didn't work.

"I shall burn you," the Judge raised a hand, but before Xander could move to dodge, Owen stepped between them.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," the blond man told the Judge. "Ahem," he cleared his throat and chanted:

"You who would burn humankind,  
Burn now none but your own kind."

Salem was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Pfah!" the Judge sneered. "You think human magic can restrain me?" To punctuate his point, the Judge unleashed his fiery power.

* * *

"Spiiike," Dru whined. "Daddy. They're all gone now, Miss Edith." She stiffened suddenly, then smiled faintly and looked up in the direction of the mall, "Oh, the pretty fires."

* * *

The Judge's fiery blast had arced away from the humans present, striking Salem and his vampiric entourage and even the Judge himself, incinerating them. As the fires died down, Owen looked at the Judge's charred corpse dispassionately and finally replied, "No."

"Well, that was unexpected," Xander said, walking up to stand next to Owen. "I see the restrictions on your powers have been lifted."

"Something like that, sir," Owen replied, his eyes twinkling.

* * *

Wade Tannenbaum lay in the hospital bed, channel surfing with the remote in his hand. It was all he could do, really. The last mission -- protecting Mr. Angel and getting him to the plane so he could get out of the country -- had been a disaster. They were good at what they did, and the briefing gave them a good idea what to expect, but it still wasn't enough. Half the team was dead, and he wasn't much better. He was paralyzed from the middle of his torso down.

"Tannenbaum?"

He looked up, "Sir." It was Mr. Xanatos, his employer.

"I came to apologize, Wade," Mr. Xanatos said. The man always had made a point of treating them like family, and that was appreciated by all of them. "I heard the report. I should have prepared you better."

"From what I heard, you didn't have much choice, sir," Wade replied, shrugging with a nonchalance that was entirely faked.

"Your health benefits cover all of this, of course," Mr. Xanatos said, waving one hand across the room negligently. "But there is another option."

"What do you mean?"

"We have... experimental procedures," Mr. Xanatos said, not meeting his eyes. "Procedures that might be able to let you walk again. I won't lie to you. There's a pretty good chance it won't work, and if it doesn't... your condition will probably worsen."

Wade considered that. He was paraplegic. How could his condition get worse? Quadriplegia? A jolt of fear shot through him when he realized what Mr. Xanatos was probably implying. He could die. Worse, he might be stuck bedridden and hooked up to a machine for the rest of his life, not even able to breathe on his own.

Was it worth the risk? To be able to walk? More than that, to be able to feel useful? To not feel... broken?

"Tell me more, sir."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Yes, this 'fic is finished, but never fear! There will be a sequel. Eventually. Someday.

Does anyone care?


End file.
